David, I've met many folks involved in quality audio, and some certainly stand out. I've sold semiconductors to most of these companies over the years, so I got to know their design philosophy and how/why/at what cost they do what they do. Dave Reich (a true gentleman and a designer I continue to admire for his ability to bring products to market that compete with other manufacturers at a fraction of the price), Ed Meitner (a leading-edge designer willing to push the envelope, tremendous imagination and ear), Jacques Riendeau (one of the more passionate audio enthusiasts), and Gilbert from Blue Circle (low key, polite, and very knowledgable), Victor Sima (focused gent, quite concerned about the relative quality of the parts used in his products). All good people. There is one gent who refused to answer my queries, but I do admire his speakers all the same. I'll leave that for another time and thread. I'm convinced no one in high end audio does this to become a millionaire, they get involved because they are passionate about advancing the cause.
